Character, etiquette, and style come to TJ in a grant from Wells Fargo
by Asia Dorsey
It was another Spartan victory, one that didn’t share the classic Spartanesque veneer. The victory? Etiquette and character. The cost? Priceless. Wells Fargo Bank awarded two $2,000 grants for both both Interact Club and DECA intended for character and etiquette development.
The grants were no hand out. Aubrey Becker, Michael Davis, Matthew Mankoff and Michael Mankoff all worked hard in procuring said grants. “Well, to give you a little history, we and Wells Fargo had a meeting back in the first semester. Ms. Nobles, their Vice President June Hammond, and branch managers were there as well. One thing they were interested in doing was shaking hands with students interested in learning about banking. They asked what they could do for us. ‘Give us a list of projects you might be interested in,’" said Danny Showers, Interact Club Sponsor and DECA Co-Sponsor.
Enter prominent TJ students Becker, Davis, and Matthew & Michael Mankoff, all of whom made formal presentations for the executives at Wells Fargo Bank. Matthew Mankoff explains, “Basically we were there to talk about what we thought the money should be used for. My brother and I suggested backstops for the baseball field and maybe some bleachers or electricity for the scoreboard on the football field.”
Aubrey Becker requested a better sound system for the auditorium, and Michael Davis requested support for character and etiquette education. As Davis remembers, “They asked us (that is Aubrey, Matt, Michael and myself) how we liked TJ, what we were involved in, and how important these things would be to us.”
It took them a little while to decide which project to take on, but on Friday February 29th, a check in the amount of $4,000 was delivered to Danny Showers and Thomas Jefferson’s Interact and DECA chapters. The original proposal was for TJ’s chapter of Interact Club, but Showers decided to extend the opportunity to a broader spectrum of students, splitting the grant between Interact Club and DECA, TJ’s Business and Marketing program. “Any student in the building can receive this [education] because any student can be in Interact Club or DECA,”said Showers.
This is the first program of its kind in DPS that is being brought to Thomas Jefferson. Students will learn the ins and outs of etiquette in the work place and will immerse themselves in the development of their character. There will be several guest speakers who will visit and educate both groups as paid lecturers and professionals. “The key is to having the top people come over to our school,” explained Showers.
Not only will students receive lessons, they will also be able to display the skills they’ve acquired in a live action graduation ceremony. “It’s not just talking the talk, we are going to be walking the walk,” reported Showers.
Both Interact Club and DECA members will, on two separate occasions, be taken to dine at two of the most esteemed and high class restaurants in Denver: the Mount Vernan Country Club for DECA, and Kevin Taylor’s, At the Opera House at the Denver Performing Arts Complex for Interact members, with the very people who taught the lessons, Wells Fargo executives, and other VIP guests.
A major part of the help in the Interact sector has been provided by Rotarians Dana Arell and Rob Packard. These two have done a lot to help procure the professionals who are to instruct the students.
The courses will begin as early as this spring. As Mathew describes, “I am so thrilled Wells Fargo has decided to sponsor etiquette and character development classes at TJ. It gives the students at TJ another opportunity to expand their professionalism and manners while they’re still in high school.”
